- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.6 × 3.9 in (9.2 × 9.9 cm)
With its rosy cheeks, round little paws, and a tiny tangerine balanced right on top of its head, this chubby capybara is pure relaxation in craft form. Grab our free capybara paper squishy template to make your own shiny, squeezable pillow that measures about 3.6 × 3.9 in (9.2 × 9.9 cm). The printable PDF comes in US Letter and A4 sizes and gives you 3 versions to play with: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your chosen sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off the “fit to page” setting. Check the scale line in the top corner; it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the warm brown fur, pink cheeks, and bright tangerine on its head now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Laminate the front and back capybara shapes with wide clear packing tape, covering just the two pieces rather than the whole sheet. Smooth each strip from the center out toward the paws and ears without pulling, since stretched tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes your paper squishy shiny, sturdy, and ready for lots of squeezing.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back pieces right along the solid outer line, keeping the narrow white border all the way around. Take your time curving the scissors around the little round ears, the leaf on top of the tangerine, and the bumpy paws at the bottom so both halves match up neatly.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back piece printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape so the sticky side faces up. Trim the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the outline, especially around the curved cheeks and top fruit, to create little flaps that hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Lay the front piece right on top of the back piece with the white sides facing together. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly around the ears, fruit, and bottom paws. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ in) gap open on the side, just where the pink line in the illustration shows, for stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small bits and push them inside through the side gap. Tuck tiny pieces into the far corners first—like the top fruit, the little ears, and the bottom paws—before filling the round belly. Stop when the pillow feels soft and puffy, because too much stuffing can make the seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the remaining tape flaps over the open side gap and seal it shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along the entire outline, from the green leaf on top down to the round paws, to make sure every single tape seam is pressed down tight.
8Squish!
Your chill new friend is ready! Give its chubby brown belly a gentle squeeze and watch it puff right back into shape. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back so the air escapes slowly when you squeeze.
Free Capybara Squishy Template
- Color
- Coloring page
- Blank, design your own
- Step-by-step guide
One free PDF: the template in three versions (pages 1–3) and the step-by-step guide (pages 4–5). Print the template at 100% on plain printer paper.
Tips for the perfect squish
- My squishy feels too hard. It has too much stuffing inside the round belly. Open the side gap, take a few pinches of filling out, and tape it shut again.
- Tape wrinkles on the belly. The wide brown body shows creases easily if the tape is pulled tight. Use shorter strips and lay them down gently from the center outward without stretching.
- Seam pops near the ears. The dips between the round ears and the top fruit have curves where flaps can lift. Place a new short strip of tape right across the split edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Smeared brown or orange ink. Dark fur outlines and bright markers can smudge under packing tape if they are still damp. Always let markers dry fully before taping, though regular printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
How do you make a capybara squishy out of paper without glue?
You only need clear tape! After covering both cutouts with wide packing tape, you add a snipped border of regular tape around the back piece and fold the sticky flaps over the front edge. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper anyway, so the folded tape border holds best.
What paper works best for this capybara paper squishy printable?
Use plain printer paper between 80–100 gsm (20–24 lb). Cardstock makes the round body too stiff, so it won’t squish as nicely in your hands.
What can I stuff my paper capybara squishy with?
You can use torn plastic grocery bags for a light, crinkly feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill for a soft pillow. Small pieces of memory foam also work well if you want a slow-rising squishy.
Can I make the capybara template bigger?
Yes, just print the page at a larger scale, for example 120%. Make sure to print the front and back together on the same sheet so both halves match.
Can I make these with a class or a group?
Yes! Print 1 sheet per person and cut tape strips in advance; kids can color the coloring page while you help with taping, and the craft takes about 30 minutes. You can also print our hamster paper squishy or axolotl paper squishy so everyone can pick their favorite cute animal.
More paper squishies to make
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